Shampooing attachments for reciprocating floor polishers



May 6, 1969 7 w, A, W ET AL' 3,441,969

SHAMPOOING ATTACHMENTS FOR RECTPROCATING FLOOR POLISHERS Filed March 8, 1967 Sheet of 2 Fig.l.

uml lgmwlglwzwh wwmmmmmmmm+ v I \x v 4e 45 44 vENToR. Willa A. Dix and Witness F i g 2 Oswald M. Porter v I l g L I v 74 {ml Tea 3 g AZTORNE Y May 6, 1969 w. A. DIX ET AL SHAMPOOING ATTACHMENTS FOR RECIPROCATING FLOOR POLISHERS Sheet A Filed March 8, 1967 INVENTOR. Willard A. Dix and Oswald M. Porter BY Witness United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment for shampooing a rug or like floor covering adapted to be secured to a reciprocating floor polisher comprising a plurality of plastic scrubbing plates having foam producing means operatively disposed relative to the scrubbing plates so that the reciprocating motion of the plates causes a corresponding alternating compression and expansion of the foam means thereby resulting in the depositing of foam upon the rug.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention pertains to reciprocating apparatus adapted for cleaning, preferably by scrubbing and shampooing, and having attachment means for accomplishing the same in a highly efficient and desirable manner.

Description of the prior art It is generally known in the art to provide a reciprocating floor polisher with a pair of reciprocating scrubbing elements having a sponge situated therebetween whereby foam is generated, dispensed onto the surface being treated, and worked into the said surface by the aforementioned scrubbing elements. It is also known in the art to provide the surface contacting portion of a floor treating device with certain types of depending buttons for aiding and assisting in the cleaning function. The prior art has continuously been plagued by lack of adequate machine control and ease of movement during the shampooing of the surface being treated. The wear characteristics and ease of cleaning the scubbbing portion of the shampooing attachment have also been a cause of deep concern in the art. Another problem of primary interest in the art is the need for a foaming attachment which will produce a creamy foam independently of the scrubbing action and will distribute it evenly on the surface being treated. The above discussed prior art has failed in a great many respects, to obviate these and other problems prevalent in the art.

SUMMARY This invention relates to the art of scrubbing and shampooing carpets, rugs and other articles, and more particularly to a novel and improved shampooing means adapted for attachment to a reciprocating floor treating machine, whereby foam is generated, evenly dispensed onto the rug or other surface and is gently scrubbed into the rug pile or other surface thus producing additional foam and highly desirable cleaning action. In addition, the shampooing attachment means is constructed and arranged so that there is a minimum amount of lint pickup, the attachment is relatively easily cleaned, and the need of a dolly for support of the attachment while scrubbing is eliminated.

The present invention overcomes the above discussed prior art deficiencies by providing a shampooing unit adapted for attachment to a reciprocating floor polisher and comprising a pair of solid plastic surface-engaging scrubbing plates having a plurality of rigid oval-shaped rounded buttons depending from the lower surface thereof wtih a plurality of holes or slots extending through the plates at locations between the various buttons. The construction of the plates is such as to provide a supporting surface for the unit, While the shape and relative location of the buttons produce additional foam and a better cleaning action than has been heretofore attained. The attachment further includes a foaming attachment comprising a sponge disposed between the plastic plates which is alternately compressed and expanded by an out-ofphase reciprocating motion of the scrubbing plates. The sponge has a porous lined through disposed therein for producing an even distribution of the liquid detergent along the length of the sponge. The combination of the plates with slots between the buttons and the above foaming attachment produces excellent foaming and cleaning characteristics. Thus, a very simple but novel construction is provided for a shampooing attachment which solves the prior art deficiencies without the need for additional parts thereby making the unit highly attractive from a product viewpoint.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved shampooing attachment for a floor polisher that is of simple construction, has good cleaning ability, a high creamy foam production and which distributes the foam evenly on the surface being treated.

Another object of this invention is to provide for a reciprocating loor polisher, 3 novel and improved shampooling attachment which has the ability to reach corners, substantially eliminates splashing, has a low silhouette and is easily controlled.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel and improved shampooing attachment which is of relatively light weight, eliminates the need of a dolly for support thereof while operating and is easily cleaned after use.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved shampooing attachment which produces foam independently of the scrubbing action and has a scrubbing surface gentle to the surface being treated and which picks up relatively little lint during the shampooing operation.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of the disclosures, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and ar rangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front sectional view of the bottom portion of a fioor polisher embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the shampooing attachment shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the shampooing attachment and associated structure taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring more specifically to the drawings, there is disclosed a conventional reciprocating polishing and scrubbing machine 10 comprising a handle 11 and a frame or housing 12 supporting an electric motor 13- mounted on a plate 14 and having a depending vertical drive shaft 15, the lower end of which carries a conventional vertical worm drive and horizontal gear arrangement desig nated generally by 16. The arrangement 16 rotatably drives a main shaft 17 laterally disposed between the front and back walls of the housing 12, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. At either end of the shaft 17 is situated an actuator designated generally at 18 and 19, which respectively convert the rotary motion of the main shaft 17 into a reciprocatory motion required for driving a portion of the shampooing attachment to be discussed here inafter. The construction of the actuators 18 and 19 which are identical, is such that they move in out-of-phase relationship. In other words, the path of movement followed by each actuator is substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 17, but in opposing directions (as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3) so that both actuators either move inwardly or outwardly. Taking actuator 18 as examplary, it is illustrated (see FIG. 3) as comprising a bushing 20 concentrically disposed around the main shaft 17, a forkshape ball plunger 21, a steel camming ball 22 which is resiliently held in a cam groove 23 circumferentially disposed on the shaft 17. The contour of the groove 23, as best shown by the angular relation thereof relative to the axis of shaft 17 in FIG. 3, is such that the path followed by the steel ball 22 will cause the actuator 18 to move in a reciprocating fashion. The plunger 21 has a conical recess disposed at its lower end for retaining the ball 22 and is secured in operative position by a plunger retainer 24 disposed about the plunger 21 and secured thereto by means of screw type threads designated 25, and a pair of washers 26 located adjacent the upstanding vertical portion of said plunger. The washers are preferably composed of polyurethane material to give them a certain amount of resiliency so that the ball plunger 21 is always urged downwardly thus causing constant engagement between the ball 22 and the peripheral surface of the cam groove 23. A fiat washer 27 protects the surface of bushing 20 from coming in contact with retainer 24. A vertical actuator shaft 28 depending from actuator 18 is mounted in a conventional multiplane mounting, such as disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,352,591 and 2,384,410, designated generally by 29. This mounting offers excellent vibration isolation with a moderate amount of lateral restraint. Thus, the shaft 28 is able to move laterally in reciprocating fashion along the axis of the main shaft 17 in accordance with the path tracked by ball 22 while precluding feedback of the vibration of the shampooing attachment to the actuator mechanism. The multiplane mounting 29 seats on a gasket 30, which is secured to a base plate 31 by way of screws 32. The motor mounting plate 14 is spaced from the base plate 31 by a plurality of vertically disposed spacers 33 best illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. The shampooing attachment designated generally by reference number is secured to a lower squareshaped integrally formed portion 28 of the actuator shaft 28 in a conventional manner.

The shampooing attachment 40 comprises a plastic, button-type scrubbing unit 41 with a foamer attachment generally designated 42 and a dispenser generally designated 43. As shown in FIG. 2 the unit 41 comprises a pair of plates generally designated 44 preferably made of a suitable plastic material, such as Delrin, which is easily molded, has (good wear properties and a relatively low coeflicient of friction to achieve successful performance of the desired functions. Each plate comprises an upstanding cylindrical hub portion 45 (see FIG. 3), an elongated rectangular plate portion 46, the center of which is preferably integrally formed with the lower end of the hub portion 45, and a pair of gliders 47 (see FIG. 1) transversely disposed on either side of the hub portion for guiding the reciprocatory movement of each of the plates 44. Disposed within each of the hub portions is a recess or opening, discussed previously, for receiving the actuator shaft portion 28 whereby the reciprocating motion of the actuators is transmitted to each of their respective scrubbing plates. The reciprocating motion is such that the plates move in out-of-phase relationship,

that is, they either move towards each other or away from each other. As the plates reciprocate their movement is guided by means of a pair of ball plungers 48, preferably of the spring-loaded type, mounted to the base plate 31 by means of a hex nut 49. The ball situated at the lower end of the plunger continuously engages and moves on the upper surface of the glider 47 as best shown in FIG. 1. The lower surface of each of the plate portions 46 is formed with a plurality of depending rigid, oval-shaped (or half-cylindrical cross-sectional shaped) rounded buttons 50. The center lines of the buttons are alternately disposed at substantially thirty degrees with respect to the direction of reciprocation. The buttons provide an easily controlled floor treating appliance without the need for a separate dolly since a smooth support surface is provided between the buttons in place of the dolly. The shape and relative location of the buttons flex the rug pile back and forth as the plates move in either direction while simultaneously producing a pumping action which further a-gitates the foam on the rug to produce additional foam and a better cleaning action. The above mentioned preferred angular orientation as well as making the height of the buttons at substantially .12 inch, aid in reducing machine drag. The plate portions 46 also have a plurality of holes or slots 51 (see FIG. 2) extending therethrough located between the various buttons. The holes aid the foaming attachment 42 in the distribution and utilization of foam. As the plates 44 move across a foam area, the foam is worked up through the holes and redistributed at the edges of the button plates thereby tending to rejuvenate the foam and make it creamier in consistency. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the inner adjacent edges of the two button plates 44 provide a support for the foaming attachment 42, the latter being secured to the plates by screws 54. The attachment 42 comprises a foamer 52 preferably made of polyurethane sponge material and having a longitudinally extending trough 53 lined with liquid rubber to form a porous skin. For purposes of the present invention the liquid rubber preferably may comprise any one of a number of commercially available products, e.g., Duro-Plastic Rubber, which usually comprise a synthetic rubber with a suitable solvent to form a liquid or paste composition, and which upon exposure to the air will solidify into a non-liquid rubber coating. The foaming attachment 42 is operatively associated with the button plates 44 so that as the plates are alternately moved towards and away from one another, the sponge 52 is compressed and expanded in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the plates. The rubber-lined trough 53 functions to provide even distribution along the length of the sponge. The liquid detergent is dispensed directly into the trough 53 from a plurality of dispensing tubes 55 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) providing an even distribution by spreading the liquid detergent over the rubber lining before it can seep through to the sponge 52. The thickness of the rubber lining determines the rate of seepage of the liquid detergent therethrough and in the present invention only a relatively thin layer of material was found necessary to retard or in other words slow down the absorption of the liquid detergent by the sponge. Thus, the rate of absorption of the liquid detergent by the sponge 52 may be determined by providing a lining having a predetermined thickness. In this manner foam is produced at the top and bottom of the sponge and will be directed to the front, rear and center of the shampooing attachment 40. Thus the combination of the button plates 44 having slots 51 between the buttons and the above described foamer attachment 52 will produce desirable foaming and cleaning action for carpets or like material.

As shown in FIG. 3 the shampoo detergent is supplied to the dispensing tubes by way of a supply tube 56 which is connected to one end to a reservoir of liquid shampoo (not shown). The shampoo is dispensed directly into the sponge 52 from the feeder tubes 55 preferably without the use of a manifold thereby substantially eliminating pumpback of foam. Eliminating the need for a manifold to distribute the shampoo presents an economical saving and also allows for common use of the dispensing tubes for polishing, floor scrubbing and shampooing functions.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim is:

1. An attachment adapted for use in shampooing a surface and being operatively secured to motion inducing means, means adapted to supply detergent to said attachment for use in shampooing said surface, said attachment including means for engaging the surface being shampooed, said surface engaging means having at least one side and including at least one surface-engaging scrubbing plate, said surface engaging means "being 'drivingly secured to said motion inducing means such that said surface engaging means moves in reciprocating fashion, the lower surface of said plate being formed with a plurality of buttons depending therefrom, flexible foam dispensing means having at least one side, said foam dispensing means side being substantially coextensive with the side of said surface engaging means and being operatively carried by said surface engaging means, said foam dispensing means being adapted to receive and dispense the detergent supplied thereto, said foam dispensing means including a trough extending longitudinal of said foam dispensing means side and being lined with a substantially porous type material for initially receiving the detergent and substantially evenly distributing it along the length of said foam dispensing means, said foam dispensing means being disposed relative to said surface engaging means so that the relative [reciprocating] movement therebetwen [of said surface engaging means] will produce a corresponding reciprocating motion along substantially the entire length of said foam dispensing means thereby causing the liquid detergent supplied to said foam dispensing means by way of said lined trough to foam and be deposited substantially even along the length of said foam dispensing means on the surface below, whereby said depending buttons aid in agitating the foam through the treated surface while providing a smooth supporting surface for the atachment and associated motion inducing means.

2. An attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface-engaging scrubbing plate comprises a plastic-type material and said depending buttons have an oval-shaped rounded configuration.

3. An attachement as defined in claim 1 including at least two scrubbing plates wherein said scrubbing plates are drivingly secured to said motion inducing means such that said plates move in relatively reciprocating outof-phase relationship.

4. An attachment as defined in claim 3 wherein said foam dispensing means is disposed between said two plates and is supported by adjacent edges of said plates.

5. An attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said trough is lined with a porous type material and extends longitudinally of said foam dispensing means so that when detergent is supplied to said foam dispensing means the detergent is spread evenly over the porous lining before seeping through to said foam dispensing means whereby foam is produced at the top and bottom of said foam dispensing means thereby causing the foam to be directed to the front, rear and center of said foam dispensing means.

6. An attachment as defined in claim 5 wherein said foam dispensing means comprises a sponge-type materal.

7. An attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said foam dispensing means is disposed laterally of said surface engaging means, whereby the reciprocating movement of the later means causes said foam means to be alternately evenly compressed and expanded along the length thereof adjacent to said surface engaging means.

8. An attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower surface of said plate is provided with a plurality of holes extending through said plate at locations between said plurality of buttons.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,819,478 1/1958 Sutton 15-4 3,212,117 10/1965 Ernstberger et al 1550 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 1541 

